West Virginians Don’t Help Their Reputations

West Virginia has made a national top ten list. But I doubt that most people will be very excited by this particular list.

In a story on the website ksl.com, it has been reported that West Virginia ranks among the top ten in pornography consumption. Utah ranked number 1, with Alaska and Mississippi rounding out the top three; West Virginia came in at number 10.

Initially some may think that the problem is in adult bookstores, paid internet subscriptions, or even DVD rentals. But as therapist-researcher Jill Manning has already said, “Approximately 80 to 90 percent of pornography use online is free, where people are not paying a subscription.”

So the problem is not necessarily in the most obvious places. People are not paying for their pornography subscriptions in a down economy near as much as previously. The fact is that it is quite easy, too easy, to access online pornography for free. One simply has to do a basic google or ask.com search in order to find hundreds of websites where pictures and videos can be accessed and viewed for free.

In response to the idea that pornography consumption seems higher in states that are generally considered very conservative and highly religious, Manning said, “Well, I think that’s a misleading interpretation. There is more consumption in areas where there’s a concentration of 15 to 24 year olds, and just last spring it was reported that Utah has the youngest population in the nation.”

And here is where I want to point out what may not be too obvious for some: the breakdown of morality and the family is no doubt linked directly to the pornography industry. That cannot be overstated.

Young men and women are viewing what can only be described as a computer based fairy-tale, and when reality does not end up the same as their pornographic fantasy their marriage falls apart. The addiction alone can destroy the trust of a marriage and family, not to mention the financial implications.

The chair of the Utah Coalition Against pornography, Pamela Atkinson admitted said of Utah, “We have many broken families in this state because one of the spouses became addicted. It has a devastating impact, especially on the marital bond. I know of no other issue, aside from sexual abuse, where the very soul of the marriage and trust is so deeply impacted.”

Free –speech proponents of pornography continue to deny any connection between moral or family breakdown and their industry. But study after study continues to show the devastation left in the wake of one of richest, most corrupt industries in the country.

With so many other potentially harmful and destructive entities threatening the strength of the family bond, the last thing we need is to have self-inflicted wounds from an industry that degrades and objectifies women more than all others.

Let’s see if we can get West Virginia off of this “loser” list and onto lists that can make us all proud, such as education, industry, income, resources, and pro-family trends.